Egg-marking device.



S. A. MERKLEY.

EGG MARKING DEVICE.

APPLIUATION FILED APR.1s,-191o.

Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

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STANLEY A. MEBKLEY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

` EGG-MARKING DEVIOE.

lpeei'eation of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

Application led April 18, 1910. Serial No. 556,049.

To all whom .it may concern:

l le'it known that I, STANLEY A. MERKLEY, l. citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Bufalo, in the county of Erie and State of NewYork,` have invented a new and useful Device, of which the followis'aspecification.

-V y invention rela-testo a new and useful egg marking-device which lisadapted to bc attached' to a hen to mark the are h eing laid.

' The prima?7 object of my invention is the production o an eggmarking-device bearing a marking-element or elements whereby the e laidby the hen to which the markeggs as they y lngA evioe is attached Willbe marked in a distinctive manner and whereby the laying capacities orqualities of each hen in a hennery can be easily ascertained. Y

Another `object of my invention is the provision of a marking-device ofthis character which 'can be ,easily attached to the vent of a hensothat. it will always be in place vfor marking an egg laid .by said hen.

A further object of my invention is to so construct the marking-devicethat. it will Y geld with the walls ofthe vent as .the egg is ing laidthus permitting the egg .to throu h tiie marking-device.

' Stl further objects are, to so construct pass.

the -marking-device that the marking-element can be placed at differentpoints or so that two or more marking-elements maybe .used and-placedrelatively in different positions, sai'd marking-elements being eitherthe same or different colors7 as may be desired, thus making .itpossible to use a laigeA combination of marksso that all the hens of a.large hemiery can be equipped with such marking-devices and perfectassurance had that the eggsof each hen can be identified, it of coursenecessary that each hen has V a record with ,the particular identifyingmarks placed on the eggs noted on the record; to provide means vforshielding or protecting the marking-elements when in normal position;and to provide other novel "features to mak'gthe device effective andvery desirable and to render it easy to be applied and removed.

To these ends my invention consists of a marking-device adapted to beapplied to a hento mark the eggs laid by the hen in a distinctive mannerso that all eggs laid by mid hen can be easily identified; and itfurther consists in the novel features and in the construction,arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter described andparticularly pointed out in the subjoined claims. y

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective vleW of a completemarking-device ready to be applied to a hen. Fig. 2 is a View of an' eggshowing the manner in which it is marked by the device shown in Fig. l.Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the marking-device showing a differentarrangement o1- marking-elements and a modified form of supporting-ring.Fig. 4 ls a view of an egg showing the manner in. which it is marked bythe marking-device illustrated in Fig. Fig.,5 is a View showing themanner in which the marking-device is attached to a hen, the devicebeing in normal position. Fig. 6 is a similar View showing themarking-device expanded and an egg passing therethrough in its passagefrom the vent of the hen. Fig. 7 is a cross-section through one of themarking-elements. Fig. 8 is a view of' a modified form of thesecuring-ring. Fig. 9 is a view of a marking-device provided with ashield or protector into which the marking-element is to be drawn whenthe device moves into normal position, as shown in dotted lines in saidfigure. Fig. l0 is an enlarged longitudinal section of a portion of thedevice showing the marking-elci ment within the shield or protector.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, like letters of reference referto like parts iu the several gures.

In Figs. 5 and 6, A designates a hen, and B the vent thereof. Themarking-device illustrated in all the gures is designated by the letterGand comprises an elastic supporting-band D secured in position aroundthe vent of the hen by seeuring.- rings E. There are preferably four ofthese securingrings used for attaching the device to a hen, theattachment thereof being made in the bursa, or in other Words, thesecuring rings are passed through the Walls of the vent. These rings areopen and pointed at the suitable tool they may be easily passedl throughthe ,walls of. the vent and thus support the-elastic band ina positionaround the vent, as clearly shown. inFig. 5.r The passing ofthesecuring-rings throughthe walls of the vent does not in any mannerinjure or affect the hen, as this part of the hen is permanentcartilage, a. .texture or substance possessed of elasticity andiexibility and almostentirely devoid of blood.

The supporting-band' D is preferably the ordinary commercial elasticband and in Fig. 1 it is shown passed through the. secui'. ing-ring,making-it necessary therefore that this band be attached to thesecuring-rings preparatory to fastening the securing-rings in' place. Irefer, Ihowever, that each vsecuringring provided with a hook e1 formedby splitting' the metal of the ring and forcing a part outward, as bestshown in Fig. 8. When securing-rings of this type are used, the elasticband'is hooked over the hooks thus formed, as 'shown in Fig. 3. Thisenables a new' supportingor elastic band to be` placed in position, whenneeded, without removing the securing-rings from the walls of the ventas would be necessary if rings of the type shown in Fig. 1 are used.

While. I have shown and described open securing-rings for fastening themarkingdevice 1n position, I do notwish to limit myself to the use ofsuch securin devices, as many other forms pf 'securingevices may 'besubstituted therefor.

Marking-elements F are secured to the supporting-band in any lsuitablemanner, bu I preferably construct the marking-elements With centrallongitudinal openings f and a narrow slot f extending from said openingto the surface of the marking-element.

In order to place the marking-element on the supportingring, it isnecessary to stretch the elastic band so as to reduce the diameterthereof suiiiciently to pass through the -slot f1 and enter thelongitudinal opening f The band is then relieved of tension and ills theentire opening, thus securing the marking-element thereto by frictionalcontact. e

In Fig. 1 Ihave shown a single markingelement which may be of any colorand when the egg asses out of the vent, it distends the-wal s of thelatter, causing the supporting-band .C to expand; as clearly shown inFig. G, and as the egg passes through the supporting-band, themarkingelement marks the egg lengthwise, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6.

By using four securing-rings, the' suporting-hand` is normally,rectangular, having four stretches or sidefs. In Fig. 1 themarking-element is shown attached to one side of the band, whereas inFig. 3 there are two marking-elements shown attached to adjoining sidesof the band. `These niarkingelements may be of the same or differentcolors and distinctively mark an egg passing therethrough in the mannershown in Fig. 4:. Any combination of colors may be used and two or moremarking-elements may be used on one side of the supportingband or theymay be positioned relatively tocach other in various other Ways, thusenabling the eggs to be marked in a great many distinctive ways. Theseelements are preferably made of a '-'ctnnposition nonelfective yand-insoluble in Water so that the hens will be kept clean and cannot besmeared with color. I,-howe\fer, provide a shield or protector in whichthe markingelement is confined when the supporting- -band is'in normalposition, as shown in F ig.'

lthrough the supporting-band, said band is expanded, causing the markingelement to be drawn out of the shield or protector, as

best shown in Fig. 9, and as soon as the egg is'laid, the walls of. thevent return to normal position, as shown in Fig. 5, so that thesupporting-band is relieved of tension and the .marking-element entersthe shield or protector.

The accompanying illustration of my invention is merely a representativeone and many changes inform, construction, and arrangement may bel'esoited to /withont departing from the principle of my invention orsacricing anyof its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim 15,--

1. The combination. of an egg markingelement and means for attachingsaid marking-element to a hen.

2. The combination .of an egg markingelement and an expansible.supporting-element adapted to be attached to a hen in operative relationto the vent of the hen.

3. An egg marking-device adapted to be attached to a hen in operativerelation to the vent thcreof. l

4. Au egg marking-device adapted to be attached 4to 'a hen, comprisingsecuringmeans, a supporting-element, and a marking-element secured onsaid supporting-element.

5. An egg marking-device adapted to be' Sand, securing-ringsfor securingsaid band to the hen 1n operative relation to the vent thereof, said suporting-band being expansible with the wa 1s of saidl vent, and means onsaid band for marking an egg as itpasses therethrough.

8. Anegg marking-device-or hens, comprising a supporting-band' removablyattached to the hen in operative relation to the vent thereof and amarking-elementcarriecl by said ban An egg marking-device for hens,'comprising a plurality of securing-rings fastened i to the hen, asupporting band removably held to said securing-rings, and amarkingelement carried by said supporting-band.y

10. An eUg marking-device for hens, comrising a pllnralitv orsecuring-rings having looks and adapted to bev fastened to the Walls ofthe vent or' the hen, an elastic-band removably held to said hooks, anda markingelement. carried by said elastic band.

' 11. An egg marking-device for hens, comprising an elastic suortinU-band, and a marker carried on sal bant, said marker having acentral opening and a slot extend- 'I ing from said central opening andsaid band belng) paed throughthe slot of said marker and ein'g:r'rictionally helol within said central o ning.

he combination with an elastic snpporting-barili adapted to be attachedto a hen in operative relation to the vent thereof,

passed and in which the marking-element. isl

normally held,..said protector or Casin permitting independent expansionof sai sup-- 'porting-band so as to move said markingelement out of saidcasing.

13. In an egg marking-device, the combination of an'elasticsupporting-band secured o a hen inoperative relationto the vent thereof,ainal'king-elenient carried by said supporting-banal, and a vCasin alsocarried vby said supporting-band in which said niarking-element' isnormally held.

14. In an e g marking-device, the combination of anelastic'snpporting-band,emarking-element secured to saidsupporting-band, and means to protectsaid marking-element when saiclsecuring-band is in normal Pos1- tion.

In testimony whereof, I have aiixegl my signature in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

, STANLEY A. Maenner- Witnesses:

ELLA C. PLUEGKHAHN, CHRIST. FEINLE', Jr.

